WY Taking a Look at Technlogy Concerning Hunting

[JM77]

Ya there?s no advantage that?s why crossguns are taking over Some states:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.jsonline.com/amp/1016497001

Sounds like crossbows are getting hunters back in the field to me. Far cry from taking over, closer to helping the cause.

 

[Zim]

Sounds like crossbows are getting hunters back in the field to me. Far cry from taking over, closer to helping the cause.

No they are just gun hunters shifting over to use a hybrid weapon to get in on the previously protected rut. Statistics prove this out, as does common sense.

 

[Horsenhike]

What I find interesting is the vast majority of people on here against crossbows are not residents of Wyoming. Why are you concerned about Wyoming's laws if you don't live there? If you want to start, or continue to hunt there, then accept their rules and move on. Nobody is forcing you to hunt there but I don't like the idea of nonresidents trying to influence policy in a state they don't live in. If you don't want to encounter crossbow hunters during archery season then hunt in a state that doesn't allow it.

This issue is far bigger than Wyoming. Hence why you see people who live and hunt all over the west offering an opinion. The people who claim crossbows do not offer a significant advantage are spreading the talking points of the crossbow community. Others disagree. That is the purpose of a discussion forum.

It doesn't take much searching to find comments from the crossbow community about down playing killing at long range.

 

[kidoggy]

This issue is far bigger than Wyoming. Hence why you see people who live and hunt all over the west offering an opinion. The people who claim crossbows do not offer a significant advantage are spreading the talking points of the crossbow community. Others disagree. That is the purpose of a discussion forum.

It doesn't take much searching to find comments from the crossbow community about down playing killing at long range.

can't really have an honest debate if those for em can't even admit this one truth.

this is why I said ,I don't envy those that set the regs

 

[highplainsdrifter]

What I find interesting is the vast majority of people on here against crossbows are not residents of Wyoming. Why are you concerned about Wyoming's laws if you don't live there? If you want to start, or continue to hunt there, then accept their rules and move on. Nobody is forcing you to hunt there but I don't like the idea of nonresidents trying to influence policy in a state they don't live in. If you don't want to encounter crossbow hunters during archery season then hunt in a state that doesn't allow it.

Perhaps they think crossbows are contagious!

 

[kidoggy]

Perhaps they think crossbows are contagious!

perhaps ,if nonresidents aren't welcome to weigh in ,this thread should be in the wyoming section??????


OF coarse if it was , this topic would be getting nowhere as much interest or publicity.
some may not like nonresidents weighing in but at least this thread has folks pondering the issue.
seems to me , that's a good thing

 

[Dakota Drifter]

can't really have an honest debate if those for em can't even admit this one truth.

this is why I said ,I don't envy those that set the regs

Can't really have an honest debate with people that have never tried both sides, especially having not hunted with both in the back country.

 

[CrimsonArrow]

Perhaps they think crossbows are contagious!

I didn't realize one had to be from Wyoming to have an opinion on the matter. And yes, crossbows are contagious. Disgruntled rifle hunters can take a shortcut into the archery season with tags that are significantly easier to draw. This adds and shifts seasonal pressure on the resource. Not necessarily a bad thing, but as stated earlier, game managers will have to decide if this shift is acceptable.

 

[Zim]

This issue is far bigger than Wyoming. Hence why you see people who live and hunt all over the west offering an opinion. The people who claim crossbows do not offer a significant advantage are spreading the talking points of the crossbow community. Others disagree. That is the purpose of a discussion forum.

It doesn't take much searching to find comments from the crossbow community about down playing killing at long range.

Ditto. I live in Illinois where this crossgun poison just spread 6 months ago via greased legislators with zero wildlife background. But I also have been hunting western states annually for 25 years. This includes Wyoming many times, including 2017. I'm just contributing because I've seen what this issue has done to many states I hunt. This may not have been an issue in WY for decades but the crossgun technology is advancing quickly and the hottest sellers here are the long range snipers like the Raven at $2,000 a pop. This and pub will bring this to the WY archery seasons soon. It's just the reality.

 

[highplainsdrifter]

I'd like to point out another alternative for those of you who erroneously think crossbow archers have a significant advantage over other archers in Wyoming...purchase a crossbow and remove that perceived advantage. Easier for you to do that then change decades of history and tradition which would also discriminate against youths, women and seniors.

 

[Dakota Drifter]

There is one big difference between the western states and the eastern states in the amount of roads. I would wager to say that most crossbow hunters that are fully capable of pulling enough poundage with a compound, especially enough for elk that hunt with a crossbow are going to fall into the category of hunters that don't get far from the road. The unit my son hunted in WY last year we saw one other hunter in 6 days of hunting during archery season. During the rifle season same unit same area we saw hunters every half mile.Then again WY could very well get overrun by crossbow hunters in the future and that is probably why they are taking a proactive approach.

Will technology get better? Yes on all forms of weapons but as of right now 99% of the crossbow scopes only go to 60 yards. I happen to have a ravin that has a scope that goes to 100 yards. The problem is the yardage marks do not move individually. They all move when adjusting to the speed of the bow. So when I adjust the scope to shoot 20 yards and 50 yards my 100 yard pin is off by quite a ways and that is why I can shoot my compound better at 100 yards. Now I can sight the crossbow in so the 100 yard pin is dead on and shoot a real nice group but now my shorter yardage pins are off by quite a ways.

 

[siwulat]

I’ve been following this thread yet hesitatant to jump in...but my opinion in this is simple. Our pass time is under attack on far too many fronts for us to be attacking ourselves. If it is legal and ethical to use a crossbow I have no issue with it. I’ve never shot one so won’t pretend to know what it’s like, but I don’t envision folks who currently shoot compounds to run out and make the switch. However, I do see them as an avenue for people who would otherwise not be in the woods to partake, and that’s a good thing even if it means more crowds for me to contend with.

 

[kidoggy]

Can't really have an honest debate with people that have never tried both sides, especially having not hunted with both in the back country.

sure you can all it takes is honesty.

 

[kidoggy]

I’ve been following this thread yet hesitatant to jump in...but my opinion in this is simple. Our pass time is under attack on far too many fronts for us to be attacking ourselves. If it is legal and ethical to use a crossbow I have no issue with it. I’ve never shot one so won’t pretend to know what it’s like, but I don’t envision folks who currently shoot compounds to run out and make the switch. However, I do see them as an avenue for people who would otherwise not be in the woods to partake, and that’s a good thing even if it means more crowds for me to contend with.

which is why I don't want them banned. however I am not opposed to them having seperate seasons from archery


I am curious though,some have said there is no data on crossbows , yet it has been open for decades , how can this be so??

does wyoming just set seasons willy nilly with no thought on subject???

if this is true it seems long past time to look into it.

 

[Horsenhike]

There is one big difference between the western states and the eastern states in the amount of roads. I would wager to say that most crossbow hunters that are fully capable of pulling enough poundage with a compound, especially enough for elk that hunt with a crossbow are going to fall into the category of hunters that don't get far from the road. The unit my son hunted in WY last year we saw one other hunter in 6 days of hunting during archery season. During the rifle season same unit same area we saw hunters every half mile.Then again WY could very well get overrun by crossbow hunters in the future and that is probably why they are taking a proactive approach.

Will technology get better? Yes on all forms of weapons but as of right now 99% of the crossbow scopes only go to 60 yards. I happen to have a ravin that has a scope that goes to 100 yards. The problem is the yardage marks do not move individually. They all move when adjusting to the speed of the bow. So when I adjust the scope to shoot 20 yards and 50 yards my 100 yard pin is off by quite a ways and that is why I can shoot my compound better at 100 yards. Now I can sight the crossbow in so the 100 yard pin is dead on and shoot a real nice group but now my shorter yardage pins are off by quite a ways.

So why not buy an MOA scope and dial?

ETA: A 6X Leupold CDS would be sweet.

 

[highplainsdrifter]

I am curious though,some have said there is no data on crossbows , yet it has been open for decades , how can this be so??

does wyoming just set seasons willy nilly with no thought on subject???

if this is true it seems long past time to look into it.

During the Commission meeting, which I did not attend but watched on the Internet, it became clear that Game and Fish does not know how many crossbows are in use. They also don't know what percentage of archery kills are with crossbows. Seems to me, that answers to both of these questions are needed before we start talking ban.

 

[kidoggy]

During the Commission meeting, which I did not attend but watched on the Internet, it became clear that Game and Fish does not know how many crossbows are in use. They also don't know what percentage of archery kills are with crossbows. Seems to me, that answers to both of these questions are needed before we start talking ban.

I would agree with that.

why don't they know?? surely after four decades they must know something???????
idaho has a mandatory report that all tag holders must submit at years end that answers such questions and provides agency with that type of info, does wyoming not do this?

 

[Hilltop]

Wyoming does not have any mandatory reporting. They send out surveys to a % of tag holders and then make educated guesses from there. Terrible way of doing it imo.

 

[BuzzH]

They didn't/don't know because crossbows are considered archery equipment via regulation. The harvest surveys asks if you hunted in archery season, but no distinction between crossbow, long bow, recurve, or compound.

I agree that the GF made a huge mistake even bringing this up before they gathered data and got their facts straight. High probability that this is a solution looking for a problem...

 

[BuzzH]

Wyoming does not have any mandatory reporting. They send out surveys to a % of tag holders and then make educated guesses from there. Terrible way of doing it imo.

Totally disagree, they get a very high level of participation in harvest surveys...if you want to see a total chit show for harvest reporting, see Montana, that's a joke.